Week 9 is finally here! This summer has absolutely flown by!I'm hoping to have one more bonus challenge for you. I'm waiting for one of my connected EDU's so I will keep you all posted.

I am so excited for you to meet the special guest for this week's challenge. I shared a little about the Global Read Alound last week's challenge. Pernille Ripp one of many Twitter Connected EDU's who's blog I read pretty religiously. She inspires me with her eloquent words every post. While this week's challenge is not blogging (I'm saving that one for later) Pernille's story is inspiring. I emailed Pernille yesterday morning and by 3:00 today she sent me back a response, apologizing for the quality. That is what is so incredible about my PLN. They stop everything to share and help eachother out. I'm never, ever alone! I have the best PLN and I don't know how I ever worked without them. Ok, enough of me, here is Pernille...

This week's challenge comes from Pernille's Blog post last week. Please read it here.Once you have read Pernille's Post please complete this form.

Because I just can't get enough here is a great bonus video from Pernille at ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) this past June:

Once again we have a very special guest for our challenge this week. Your challenge comes from an amazing connected educator that I have had the privilege to meet in person. Say hello to Christina Luce. Christina is a 2nd grade teacher, blogger, technology turn key trainer and co-founder of edCampCNY.

Here is her challenge for you:

Summer Learning Challenge: Connecting Our Students GloballyIt is important for for teachers to expose students to the world beyond their classrooms, and to actively engage them in global citizenship. One way that educators can positively promote global citizenship is to provide their students with opportunities to learn about how other people live, and to give them a means to dialog with students in other locales about common interests and shared concerns. This week’s challenge is all about connecting your students with others around the globe. There are numerous ways to go about doing this, but let me offer up a few suggestions.

Connecting Classrooms on Twitter In previous challenges you learned about how being a connected educator could impact you both professionally, and personally. Now it is time to think about how you can harness this social media platform, and leverage it for student learning. How can you use Twitter to connect your classrooms with others in your region and with others around the globe?

I manage a few different Twitter accounts. For my professional learning, I tweet from @ChristinaMLuce, but I also manage a classroom account @LuceClassPage. My students and I collaborate to send Tweets from the latter account. We use this shared Twitter account as a tool to connect and to share with classes around the world. There is no limit to the ways that this tool can be used. In the past we have asked and answered questions of the classrooms we follow, reached out to the global community for research, and shared our research and expertise with others.

Mystery Google HangoutsAre you teaching your students about the regions of the United States or perhaps studying another country? Why not consider connecting with a classroom in the region you’re studying via Google Hangouts. The premise of this social game is to guess the other class’ location based on the answers to some geographical questions and the clues that they may provide. The first class to guess the other’s location wins. But you don’t have to stop there. Our class has connected initially using the Mystery GHO (Google Hangout) but has then furthered our relationship by sharing reader’s theater, research projects, and cooperative math lessons. You are only limited here by the imagination of both you and your students. Some of the best ideas for collaborative projects have come from the students themselves!Learn more about Mystery Google Hangouts by joining the Mystery Hangout Community in Google+.NPHC Blog It Challenge The NPHC Blog It Challenge is a global blogging challenge for students aged 6 -12. I originally became involved with the Not Perfect Hat Club project earlier this year. More than a club in the traditional sense, NPHC is an adoption of an attitude or way of thinking and being. It is something that assists both children and adults in focusing on the journey rather than the outcome and encourages them to recognize and value their talents and the talents of others. NPHC also helps students embrace the often uncomfortable feelings associated with facing challenges. Author and Critterkin co-founder, Jena Ball, has finished the book The Not Perfect Hat Club and is launching the NPHC Blog It Challenge as way to engage and promote greater reflection by students. Each week students will read a few chapters and then respond either by blogging or vlogging, and extend their thinking through virtual conversations with the other students involved in the challenge. Currently, classes from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Ecuador, India, and the United States have registered to participate in this challenge - talk about a global perspective!Learn more about the NPHC Blog It Project here.

So how will you connect globally? Here are some additional resources to use as well:

Once you have read through all of the materials please complete the challenge form here.

﻿﻿﻿I can't believe how fast this summer is going. We only have three weeks left of challenges!

There are so many incredible online professional development web sites that it is hard to sift through them all. So, I'm going to focus on two this year. One is Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media is an amazing site full of incredible resources. Click here to learn more about Common Sense Media and all they have to offer. The other is one that works closely with Common Sense called EdWeb. We will get more into EdWeb throughout the school year.

Because there is so much out there to share I'm going to narrow our focus for this week's challenge since it aligns perfectly with one of The Plan For Excellence goals; Providing Training and Support for staff, students and families around technology and cyber citizenship and safety.

Your challenge this week is to explore the Digital Literacy and Citizenship piece of Common Sense Media. This training will introduce you to the K-12 Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum, scope and sequence, and walk you through sample lesson plans. You'll also learn about research and background on your students' digital lives. Each training takes one hour to complete. To take the training:

1. Watch the video for your grade level.2. At the end of the video, you'll receive a link to a survey.3. Take the survey.4. At the end of the survey, you'll receive a link to a certificate you can use to document professional development hours. In order to access the certificate, you will need to have registered and and be logged into Common Sense Education's site. When you register, be sure to click the "I'm an Educator" box. Registration is free.

Welcome to week #6! I am so excited to have our first guest host for this week's challenge. This challenge comes from my friend Jessica Raleigh. Jessica is an amazing connected educator from Denver who I met through Twitter. Please take a moment to listen to Jessica's video.

Your Week 6 Challenge: Explore some of the many ways you can become a more connected educator. You may find it helpful to browse one or two of the resources shared below, or to check out a hashtag that interests you. Once you find a community or chat that speaks to you, make a commitment for how you’ll invest in yourself, your students, and this community over the first few weeks of school in a way that supports a goal you have for yourself this year. Share that commitment on Twitter using your hashtag #canandaiguaslcAs an example, here’s my commitment:Extending the Challenge:Find a Google+ Community or Twitter Chat you’re interested in and join the conversation. My favorite community is #BFC530 (The Breakfast Club), but of course I am a teensy bit biased - after all, that’s where I met Katie! Everyone is very friendly, so stop by sometime to introduce yourself or join the conversation. You can also see our website for more info about the chat.Feeling Overwhelmed or Have a Question? Just ask!I LOVE helping others learn how to use social media, and it is only through the kindness of others who helped me that I learned what I know. Send me a message on Twitter anytime, to ask a question or just say hello! My username is @TyrnaDTips for Becoming Connected:There are no specific rules that say when or how you connect - there’s no 1 right way, only YOUR way. Don’t feel obligated to use social media the way everyone else does - connect in the way that feels right for you and meets your needs. If you can only check Twitter for 5 minutes every day, or you want to invest 1 hour every Saturday - great! Start wherever it feels right and keep biting off small bits to push yourself more and more. And don’t forget to consider your purpose for being there and how you’ll act on what you learn so you have an anchor to guide your time that adds value to you personally and/or professionally. You get out of an online platform what you put in. Some people make it seem like Twitter is a magical place where you ask a question and minutes later you have 15 people replying. That CAN happen, quite frequently, but only if you cultivate a community of people and share in a way that draws attention to your posts. You’ve got to build your network and continue to invest in it before it will give back and invest in you. USE HASHTAGS! Find communities that you can build your presence within and eventually you’ll be able to ask a question and get responses. That said, use hashtags appropriately. If you are spamming your content to the hashtag and never responding to others people might be less likely to connect with you. The more relationships you can build and continue to invest in, the better. Don’t be shy - people are there because they want to connect. If you see a conversation that you want to say something about, do! If someone’s blog post or ideas resonate with you, say so! If you have a question for someone - ask it! Lurking IS Learning, but you get such an added value by sharing your own thoughts, experiences, and resources while commenting on what others post. Resources for Using Social Media and Building a PLN:bit.ly/iste15plnThe Passionate PLN: Connecting With Educators Who Inspire & Ask, “Why Not?” Slide Deck from my session at #ISTE2015social-media-for-educators.zeef.comResource lists for using Twitter, Google+, Voxer, and more!Scroll down to "Using Twitter" for my favorite resources on getting started & "Twitter - Tools" for ways to enhance your experience using tools like TweetdeckMy favorite Getting Started blog posts:

Education Twitter Chat List & Corresponding Calendar (Aboutpage has a nice How-To)Use this list/calendar to browse all the known Twitter chats about education, and to find one you might want to join sometime. (Keep in mind many chats change their schedule or take a break over summer, so if it seems quiet on the hashtag check again in the upcoming weeks.)

Wow! It is hard to believe but we are over half way through the challenge. Summer is truly flying by. I'm so excited to share this week's challenge. It is inspired by an amazing story about a young lady from Alberta, Canada who chose to "fight back" with kindness when faced with a cyber-bullying situation last September. Someone posted a very negative statement on Caitlin Haacke's Facebook Page. Instead of lashing out she chose to be positive. She wrote positive notes on Post-its and placed them on the locker of every person in her high school. From that moment, a movement began. You can watch the news story here.

Several Twitter friends of mine have taken this into their schools. One example is Dr. Tony Sinanis. Tony is the lead learner at Cantiague Elementary in Jericho, NY. He shared his experience with positive Post-it day on Storify here. Storify is a great tool to help share your Twitter feed with pople who aren't on Twitter (click here to learn more about Storify.)

So your challenge this week is to host a positive Post-it day in your own life. Leave random positive notes around your house for your family or friends. Put a random positive Post-it out for your mail carrier. Spread the positive message anywhere in your world. They sky is the limit. When you have completed this challenge please complete this form. Feel free to share your positive Post-it day on Twitter as well. Remember to use the hashtag #canandaiguaslc and #PositivePostItDay

It has been great learning about all of you and your interests through the challenge responses each week. Remember, if you haven't completed the challenges the previous weeks its OKAY. This challenge is about you!

This week's challenge was inspired by the work of Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent.) Tony produces some great how to videos along with sharing web tools on his web page Learning in Hand.

Educators are constantly trying to grab the attention of their students. Neuroscientists suggest that stories and images through use of pictures and visual tools help students pay attention and remember information better. So, back in January Tony created an 11 minute video on producing Infopics. An infopic is a photo with text layered on top that is designed to communicate a message. In his video Tony shares several apps but there are a couple of web based tools you can use as well. To watch Tony's video please click here.

Since I don't know if you have access to an iOS or Android device we will learn a little more about Piktochart so you can complete the challenge. If you would like to use one of the apps highlighted in Tony's video please feel free to use one of them to complete this week's challenge.Click here to see a tutorial on using Piktochart. You will need to register for a free account that gives you enough features to get started. If you have any trouble please don't hesitate to reach out to me and I can walk you through using this as well.

Once you have created your first Infographic or Infopic please click here.

Here is an example of the Piktochart I created for our Superintendent's Unconference Day.

﻿Happy Monday! This week’s challenge is to learn about Genius Hour. The idea of hosting Genius Hour has really taken off in schools around the world. I’ve connected with some local (NY State) educators who are trying to incorporate Genius Hour into their schools. Here is a quick 3 minute video by Lee Araoz (@LeeAraoz) a K-12 Tech Coordinator and Staff Developer from Long Island. In his video he describes Genius Hour and shares some resources to help you incorporate Genius Hour into your classroom or school. Since many of you don’t have a classroom to apply this to so the challenge this week is to learn about Genius Hour and then have your own personal Mini-Genius Hour. Yes, you need to take a few minutes each day this week and dedicate it to a topic you are interested in learning more or are passionate about. I realize it’s summer, but I’m thinking if you are anything like me your days are still consumed with tasks or shuttling kids everywhere. So, this is permission to slow down and pursue something for you. You will be amazed how much more productive you will be if you just take a few minutes to do something just for you! Once you’ve decided how you will spend your Mini-Genius Hour complete this form. I can’t wait to see your topics! Your final “product” will be your own. I won’t require you to share it but certainly if you want to share I would love you to share it with me or even better, post it on Twitter using the #canandaiguaslc. Enjoy your week,﻿ Katie

Some of you may have heard of TED. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. I have learned so much from this vast collection of talks from some of the most amazing minds in the world. The first TED Talk I watched was back in 2006, by Sir Ken Robinson. It is an incredible talk that I highly recommend watching here. TED talks make a great compliment to lessons and help lead to incredible discussions. I use them often in my work and with students. I've even given my own version of a TED talk (about Twitter and my PLN of course.) They are a great way to have student's speak publicly especially because they are always about something the speaker is passionate about. You can see some student TED talks here.

This week's challenge is to watch a TED talk of your choice and complete the reflection form here. Don't forget to recommend it to others by sending the title out in a Tweet and share it on our #CanandaiguaSLC

There are so many TED talks to choose from so to help I have included some other key Educational TED Talks below.

﻿﻿Our journey begins. Thank you for joining me on this leaning adventure. This week's challenge has two parts. For some, Part 1 will be a repeat.

Part 1: Create a Twitter Account if you do not have one already. You may be hesitant to do it but I assure you there are many ways you can use Twitter for professional learning and never even have to "Tweet." If you're not sure how to use Twitter I have created a brief video to give you a 'heads-up' on where to even begin with Twitter! You can find that video HERE

Within this video I also mention a link to the "21 Day Twitter Challenge". This is an EXCELLENT tool to use to utilize Twitter.

﻿﻿﻿﻿Part 2: It was inspired by a post from one of the amazing educators I follow on Twitter, Lisa DabbsEvery year we hear all this talk about resolutions and getting ready to be better in a new year.You can read more about this HERE.

So your challenge this week is to come up with your #onelittleword and share it on social media using the or #CanandaiguaSLC hashtags or tweet to @canandaiguaccsdpd! Be creative though. Take a picture of yourself holding the word up, design a graphic, paint it on a canvas. Create it in a way that you can post it somewhere to remind yourself every day! For those who just want to share as a district, I've created a Padlet ( an online bulletin board) here for you to post your word. You can simply put your word or get creative in how you present it. Don't worry, keep it simple for now. We will have some future challenges on how to create cool visuals.

So there you have it. Week 1 is pretty easy.What's my word, you ask? I spent a great deal of time thinking about what word would best encompass my personal and professional goals for the year. Hence the decision not made until 9 days into the new year :). So after a few days spent reflecting (another front runner) I chose:﻿﻿﻿﻿

I'm proud to say I "cultivated" the sunflower and the tulips from seed and bulbs myself!﻿﻿﻿Cultivate: verb (used with object), cultivated, cultivating.-to promote the growth or development of (an art, science, etc.); foster.-to devote oneself to (an art, science, etc.).-to seek to promote or foster (friendship, love, etc.).-to seek the acquaintance or friendship of (a person).

Why did I choose it? Well, I really want to promote growth and development for all of our staff and students but also continue to grow as a learner and community member in Canandaigua. I'll share more soon but for now, it's your turn, what's yours?